Putting practice under the microscope: The perceived uses and limitations of slow instrumental

music practice
Emma Allingham and Clemens Wöllner

Allingham and Wöllner (2022) conducted a qualitative research study to explore the strengths,

weaknesses, and various specific techniques of slow practice through analysing the instrumentalists’

responses to an online questionnaire. Their analysis resulted in 4 themes that incorporate various

functions of slow practice, namely “Managing Information Load”, “Building A Foundation for Motor

Learning”, “Creative and Critical Problem-solving”, and “Regulating States”. The perceived limitations

were categorized into technical-practical and emotional-cognitive malfunctions that could be

derived from problematic strategies used in slow practice. The specific techniques point to more

detailed descriptions of executing slow practice. Tempo organization and using different

complementary strategies were the most used specific techniques found in the study.

The qualitative thematic analysis was based on cognitive load theory (CLT) and other aspects of

motor learning. They argue that music learning involves three types of cognitive load (CL). Slow

practice alters extrinsic CL, which describes the difficulty of a specific technique, and Germane CL,

which refers to the process of information solidifying in long-term memory. They explain that

slowing tempo reduces extrinsic CL, thus reduces errors, induces positive emotions, and “optimises

the difficulty of a task to match the skills of the learner” to achieve a flow state. Germane CL is also

stimulated by the lowered less automaticity and higher consciousness on the motor skills applied.

However, they also attend to the biomechanical differences between slow and fast playing, noting

that “changing the tempo of the music might alter the instrument technique, meaning that slow

practice might not help the performer to play at a faster tempo”.

Responses from 256 instrumentalists with varied expertise and musical genres were analysed

according to the reasons, goals, techniques, and limitations of slow practice. The results suggest that
slow practice enables more solid building of motoric memory, makes challenging materials easier,

improves moods, and helps in identifying problems and understanding the music. Nevertheless,

practicing too slowly or only relying on this method could result in altered techniques and

expression, and cognitive skills unapplicable in faster tempi. Alternative techniques suggested by the

respondents, including tempi alternation, rhythm variation, and chunking, address these issues.

The article included opposing views on the impact of slow practice on musical expression

development and learning progress, such as the association of slow practice with errorless learning

versus the view of mistakes promoting learning opportunities (Kruse-Weber & Parncutt, 2014).

Individual preferences on more fundamental learning rationales are highlighted and would stimulate

the readers to ponder on their own preferences. However, the study only used self-report data,

hence the reports were unverifiable with observed practice behaviours, and outcome of slow

practice, such as performance quality and practice efficiency, were unassessed. The large number of

classical string musicians might also have produced biased results that affects the generalisability of

the study. Nevertheless, the article provides a more systematic insight into the pros and cons of such

popular practice method, and operative strategies that could further facilitate its effect, helping the

readers to reflect on the strategies that would best suit them in aid of the achievement of their

musical excellence.
Why Trying to ‘Think Positive” All the Time Could Make You Feel Worse
Noa Kageyama, Ph.D.

Noa Kageyama (2022) explores how accepting our own negative thoughts and emotions could be

more helpful in maintaining our well-being than always trying to maintain positive, basing his ideas

on a study by Ford et al. (2018), which analysed the psychological health benefits of accepting one’s

own negativity across three studies. Kageyama begins by pinpointing two opposing approaches

towards negative thoughts and emotions, “accepting” and “judging” and explains why accepting

negativity could lead to better well-being as one is less likely “to dwell on these thoughts, to try to

stop these kinds of thoughts, and to experience ‘negative meta-emotional reactions’”.

Correspondingly, the negative emotions and thoughts are allowed to fade away naturally and

quicker without being aggravated. He then discusses the differences between accepting one’s

internal mental experience and one’s external situation, which only the former has been found to

improve well-being. The article moves on to the application of acceptance to performances and the

issues of rejecting anxiety and nervousness as performers. It concludes with a humorous analogy to

illustrate the difference between accepting and judging one own’s negativity and a “Takeaways”

section. Kageyama extends on Ford et al.’s idea and suggests musicians to embrace anxiety during a

performance, instead of “spending the entire performance being so preoccupied with fighting an

internal battle with our nerves”.

As both varied and standardized levels of stressors were covered by the original study, this article

provided a refreshing insight into approaching negative emotions and thoughts, which are

oftentimes inevitable, and suggests a great generalisability across different stressful contexts.

However, since the original study only employed a public speaking task as a stressor related to

performance, one should be mindful of the differences between public speaking and music

performance. For instance, music performances often involve more trained motor skills, which are

more prone to the physiological reactions aroused by anxiety, thus impacting on the delivery of the
performances. Not targeting at musicians, such issues commonly faced by musicians are hence out

of scope of Ford et al.’s study, thus left unaddressed. Kageyama also fails to indicate that only female

participants were recruited in the performance-related study, which made gender a possible

confound for the results. Regardless, although application of acceptance on specifically music

performance entails further research, this article challenges against the common outlook on

negativity and helps the readers to navigate daily life stressors. The “Takeaways” section also

prompts the readers to reconsider more appropriate encouragements to give to anxious performers.
Bibilography

Allingham, E., & Wöllner, C. (2022). Putting practice under the microscope: The perceived uses and
limitations of slow instrumental music practice. Psychology of Music, 0(0), 1-18.
https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221129650
Ford, B. Q., Lam, P., John, O. P., & Mauss, I. B. (2018). The psychological health benefits of accepting
negative emotions and thoughts: Laboratory, diary, and longitudinal evidence. Journal of
personality and social psychology, 115(6), 1075–1092. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000157
Kageyama, N. (2022). Why Trying to ‘Think Positive’ All the Time Could Make You Feel Worse. [Blog]
Bulletproof Musician. Available at: http://bulletproofmusician.com/why-the-pressure-to-be-
positive-all-the-time-could-make-you-feel-worse
Kruse-Weber S., Parncutt R. (2014). Error management for musicians: An interdisciplinary conceptual
framework. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, Article 777.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00777